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Central Indiana community organizations receive grants from local COVID-19 relief fund

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Posted at 11:50 AM, Mar 24, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-24 12:05:38-04

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INDIANAPOLIS — Nearly four dozen Central Indiana organizations received financial assistance Tuesday when the Central Indiana COVID-19 Community Economic Relief Fund announced its first round grants.

The Central Indiana COVID-19 Community Economic Relief Fund (C-CERF) made unrestricted grants to 46 community organizations totaling $7,305,000. A news release said funds raised by C-CERF will be used to stabilize community organizations that help people and families as they deal with the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

C-CERF involves a partnership between Lilly Endowment Inc., Central Indiana Community Foundation, Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation and United Way of Central Indiana.

The fund, which is administered by the United Way of Central Indiana, has more than $17.8 million in hand with contributions and donations being solicited.

“Our coalition of funders has been in daily communication with community leaders across Central Indiana to assess emerging needs and direct service providers to better understand their most pressing challenges,” Ann Murtlow, president & CEO, United Way of Central Indiana, said. “With this information, the founding funders of C-CERF were able to make decisions on grants to organizations that serve in critical service areas that provide flexibility to problem solve in a rapidly changing environment.”

According to information from the United Way of Central Indiana, the C-CERF Task Force prioritized funding to community-based organizations in Boone, Hancock, Hamilton, Hendricks, Marion and Morgan Counties that focus on services that manage:

  • Childcare for healthcare workers and first responders
  • Food access for those struggling to make ends meet
  • Homeless and shelter care that allows for safe health practices
  • Strengthening access to resources for seniors and immigrants
  • Disaster planning and infrastructure support to connect people to services
  • Multi-service centers to help them address current and emerging needs in their neighborhoods

“At this moment, our community is feeling the impact of layoffs and other job losses, increased childcare needs due to school closures, and significant food shortages for our most vulnerable neighbors,” Ronni Kloth, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for community development, said. “We hope that this first wave of funding can help these organizations begin to address these and other critical needs.”

Click here to donate to C-CERF or text HELP2020 to 91999.

Organizations that received grants:

Alternatives Incorporated

$50,000

American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis

$250,000

AYS

$400,000

Barbara B. Jordan YMCA

$50,000

Boone County Senior Services

$20,000

Caring Center/Project Help

$25,000

Catholic Charities Indianapolis

$250,000

Christamore House

$100,000

Churches in Mission

$50,000

CICOA Aging and In-Home Solutions

$75,000

Coburn Place Safe Haven

$50,000

Community Alliance of the Far Eastside

$100,000

Concord Neighborhood Center

$100,000

Early Learning Indiana

$250,000

Edna Martin Christian Center

$250,000

Family Promise of Hendricks County

$25,000

Fay Biccard Glick Neighborhood Center at Crooked Creek

$50,000

Flanner House of Indianapolis

$200,000

Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana

$750,000

Good Samaritan Network of Hamilton County

$50,000

Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana

$250,000

Hawthorne Community Center

$100,000

Hendricks County Senior Services

$50,000

Horizon House

$100,000

HVAF of Indiana

$50,000

Immigrant Welcome Center

$20,000

Indiana 211 Partnership

$200,000

Indianapolis Urban League

$200,000

John H. Boner Neighborhood Centers

$250,000

The Julian Center

$250,000

La Plaza

$100,000

Martin Luther King Community Center

$100,000

Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center

$100,000

Meals on Wheels

$20,000

Meals on Wheels of Hancock County

$20,000

Midwest Food Bank

$250,000

PACE

$50,000

St. Vincent de Paul Society

$150,000

The Salvation Army

$250,000

Second Helpings

$750,000

Sheltering Wings

$50,000

Shepherd Community, Inc.

$100,000

Southeast Community Services

$200,000

Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana

$100,000

Wheeler Mission Ministries

$250,000

YMCA of Greater Indianapolis

$400,000